What Is Going On? Help!

[Mountain Mama]

Ok, here is the deal... I was dx oct (via biopsy), and went gluten-free that day. I have done mucho research on the net (my nutritionist was of no help) and I am pretty anal about what I eat etc. Got new pots and pans, new cutting boards, my house is gluten-free. I have only eaten out twice and not within the last month. If I go somehwere I bring my own food. Yet, For the past 2 weeks I have been having diahreah off and on, more on than off. I had a break for 2 days then it started again this morning. I use gluten-free dish det, shampoo etc. The only new product I have is a contact solution which doesn't appear to have any gluten in it. I am not having alot of stomache pain like before dx, but lots of diahreah, some stomache discomfort, back pain like before. I have wracked my brain to try and figure out what is doing this. I will have d. 5 times before noon often, it is driving me crazy! I have had minimal dairy thinking maybe it was the dairy that did it, but I still have it? I did eat some gluten-free (homemade) banana bread yesterday that had butter in it. Help!

[Mountain Mama]

Tried to edit, but my slow brain can't figure it out. I forgot to say my house is gluten-free except for the dog and cat food, yet I am never the one to feed them. One of the kids feeds them and then washes their hands.

[Jestgar]

I'm afraid it's time to start a food diary and try to narrow down other foods that might be causing you problems.

[Mountain Mama]

Rotten! That is exactly what I was NOT wanting you to say!! I am so bad at that, I tried once and got thru half of one day...

[CarlaB]

I would suggest getting gluten-free dog and cat food. The dogs/cats get crumbs on their paws, then on your couch, chairs, etc. I know some people are so sensitive they need to have their pets eat gluten-free, too.

Smooching hubby after he's had gluten is a no-no, too.

[jerseyangel]

You are at about the same place in recovery I was when some of my symptoms began to come back. I did fine on the gluten-free diet up until about 5-6 months.

It turned out that I have other food intolerances that I didn't know about (or weren't there, who knows) before. It took me a while to figure this out--went to an allergist/immunologist who tested me for "true" allergies to foods, but I was negative to all of the foods tested.

He then told me the best way to identify food intolerances, or delayed food allergy, as it is sometimes called, is to do an elimination diet.

Keeping a food diary is an excellent idea--you can jot down everything you ate along with how you felt, symptoms, etc.

Some common foods to suspect are--dairy, soy, and corn. There are other posibilities, of course, but those are a good place to start.

Good luck with it--it takes a while, but is really worth it. Let me know if I can be of any more help

[Piccolo]

Dear Mountain Momma and all

A good and easy way to keep a food diary is use www.mypyramidtracker.gov. You can list your foods there and print it out. All you have to do is register. It makes it easy to keep up with food.

Susan

[Mountain Mama]

I really didn't want to buy gluten-free dog and cat food, so expensive! I have 2 large dogs that eat alot and 2 cats. I will look into it now.

I did smootch my dh after he ate something the other day, but it was several hours afterwards and he had eaten/ drank since then gluten-free.

I don't eat any soy, I have graves disease, but I do eat alot of corn, tortillas, chips, etc. I LOVE cheese but try to limit it. I was born with a dairy allergy and was on soy formula and goats milk. But I have eaten cheese my whole life. I have endometriosis so i try to not eat beef (beef is supposed to make the symptoms worse). Sometimes I have hearburn after I eat potatoes, so I don't know what to eat. Yesterday I ate banana bread (really yummy recipe btw), brown rice with veg in stir fry sauce, a corn muffin and lentil veg stew. Oh, and a bag of skittles. I guess i will write it down, but I just never really saw how you figure out what it is when you are eating such a variety of foods. How do you know that that one food is what is causing it?

[CarlaB]

I think the easiest way would be to eliminate all dairy, corn, and soy. Make your diet very simple -- chicken, brown rice, veggies, fruit. Then add in one food at a time and don't add in the next food for a couple days so you can see how you react.

I'd try the gluten-free dog and cat food ... if you're still having symptoms, then you know that's not it.

If you already know you have a dairy allergy, it might be as simple as cutting out all dairy.

[Mountain Mama]

Thanks Carla, I will try that. How long should I just eat the rice, chicken etc. before I add in other things? That sound simple enough. I will look up the dog and cat food, I know there is a thread lurking about here somewhere discussing it. About the dairy, I am not sure if that is it or not. I have tried several times cutting out all dairy and sometimes I have d anyways. And I really don't want it to be dairy because I love cheese! lol I will give this a go and see what happens.

[CarlaB]

I would judge how long to eat simply by how you feel. Once you're feeling consistently good, then try adding the other things in (dairy first ).

I got off dairy completely for six months and now consume it with no problems at all. Your gut needs to heal; the easier you are on it, the faster the healing will be. I ate simply for several months, and gluten is the only food I'm sensitive to. My stomach liked the simple foods!

[dionnek]

Dairy gave me a problem until about 7 or 8 months after I went gluten-free, but the WORST problem with D I have now (other than accidental glutening), is corn. Not corn startch, etc., that doesn't seem to bother me - just pure corn (canned/frozen/fresh). I would give up corn and dairy for a while (and soy too since that seems to be a big problem for a lot of celiacs) - maybe a month or 2 - and if the D persists then it's time to look into CC or hidden gluten. did yiou check all your medications? My symptoms fro a glutening last for 2 plus weeks, so if you are getting glutened just twice a month you (I) would never feel better!

[jerseyangel]

There are a couple of ways to go about an elinination diet.

What I did was to eat only very basic foods that I didn't suspect gave me trouble (more about that later....) Anyway, I ate meats, veggies, rice, fruits, potatoes, and used olive oil, salt and pepper to season foods. I also used sugar where I wanted.

I would try adding a suspect food about every 5 days. This is where keeping a food diary is key--it's impossible to remember which symptoms correspond to which foods without doing it.

Where it really gets tricky is when foods that you never suspect turn out to be culprits. Now, this may not ever apply to you, but even after I omitted dairy, soy, and corn, I felt better at first, but still not quite right.

I looked further, and by trial and error discovered that all legumes (including peanuts) and tapioca (found in many gluten-free mixes) also caused symptoms. I was told by a doctor that it's not uncommon for people with an autoimmune disease to have problems with legumes. I also realized that canola oil gave me problems. Realizing I was intolerant to coconut led me to stop drinking filtered water from my own refrigerator (water filters frequently use coconut hulls)--I couldn't believe how much better I began to feel after switching to spring water.

Like I said, it is tedious, and frankly, a pain--but definately worth it. I have many intolerances, but I do eat well, and feel good most of the time.

If you get stuck, look closely at things you eat and drink on a daily basis.

I also switched my cat over to gluten-free food this past fall. I was doing ok with him on the other stuff, but I figured it was better to be safe--no chance of a mistake or anything like that. He loves it and is doing very well. His coat is even shinier than it was before! I think the pets benefit almost as much as we do.

[lonewolf]

Just wanted to chime in with my agreement. Cutting out ALL dairy, corn and soy, possibly eggs too, is a good way to start. It might seem like a hassle, but it's a lot better than feeling crummy.

[Mountain Mama]

Carla, I hope if I do have a problem with dairy that it goes away like yours did.

Dionnek, about 2 weeks ago I had a dinner at my parents. I brought my own food and kept it covered until everyone was served. Though, during the course of dinner the bread basket was passed over my plate a few times. The basket was lined with terrycloth towles and then had the french bread on top of the paper wrapper it comes in and then covered with them also, I didn't notice any crumbs falling on my food but I suppose they could have. Could I have gotten sick from a crumb I couldn't see that would last for 2 weeks?? Although, I had d. that day before I ate the lunch with everyone. Yes, I have checked all my meds.

Jerseyangel, thanks for the info. I have wondered about the beans, when I eat nachos I have a problem the next day and I have wondered if it was the refried beans. *sigh* I don't want any other allergies. I want to eat all the food I like, esp Pirate's Booty, it is my one indulgence! What crunchy salty treat can you have when you don't eat corn, dairy, soy and gluten?? Boohoo.

Lonewolf, well, I will try it and hopefully I will not be able to handle only mushrooms (which I loathe)! lol

Thanks everyone. I was so fed up and didn't know what to do and my dh said, "Go to your celiac forum and ask everyone there, they should be able to help you". How wise of him.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I just wanted to add that we just switched our diabetic cat from his expensive canned high-protein cat food to plain deli sliced turkey, which is less expensive--and he is suddenly feeling MUCH better! Hmmmm.....

Anyway, thought that might help with your pet food dilemma...

[BFreeman]

*sigh* I don't want any other allergies. I want to eat all the food I like, esp Pirate's Booty, it is my one indulgence!

May I ask, what is Pirate's Booty?

BF

[Guest OyVay]

Very interesting postings. I have been gluten free for years and doing well for the most part unless I get glutenized. A few weeks ago, I started having symptons again and they have gotten steadily worse. I wondered about my new cat and I think I'll check out the gluten free food. She happens to crawl all over the place: tables, counters, refrigerator (yes, refrigerator! Inside! Like she belongs there. Nutty animal).

Thanks group.

[cat40]

*sigh* I don't want any other allergies. I want to eat all the food I like, esp Pirate's Booty, it is my one indulgence!

May I ask, what is Pirate's Booty?

BF

Pirates Booty is a fantabulous snack made from rice and corn that is kinda like Cheetos? only much much better!!!! Made with aged white cheddar by a company called Roberts Gourmet. They have numerous gluten free options and are ALL NATURAL.

Open Original Shared Link

I am fortunate enough to work for a Natural Foods Cooperative here in Bloomington and have access to a lot of food not carried by main stream grocers. This is one of them. (they are highly addictive!!)

Cathleen

[Mountain Mama]

Hmmmm, this pet food thing is getting more intreaguing by the moment! I am going to get some this weekend in hopes that is the root of my problem!

Yes, BF pirates booty is divine! Like a puffed cheeto only 100x's better! So light and crunchy with a hint of white cheddar!! Love them!! And, like Cat says, they are indeed addictive to the highest degree. You can buy them in bulk at amazon.

[dionnek]

Yes, I bought the Pirate's Booty on Amazon (before I realized corn was a problem for me), and I still snack on it every now and then, just not the whole bag!

The caramel is yummy too!

Non-corn based salty snack foods - I like the Blue Diamond Nut Thins crackers (can find in the regular grocery store) - the have almond and pecan and hazlenut in lots of different flavors and are very good. Also, I snack on rice cakes with peanutbutter or celery and peanutbutter (not salty, but close). Haven't really found any other good salty snack substitutes for corn products

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hi Mountain Mama,

that you might be dairy intolerant (you already said, you have a dairy allergy since birth), that is quite possible. Most celiacs are still dairy intolerant for the first few months after they go on a glutenfree diet. The reason is, that dairy is digested on the tips of the villi (the little hair in your intestines). Well, if you ate gluten and you are a celiac or glutenintolerant, then your hair will get cut off. This means, the tips are missing and bingo, you can't eat dairy anymore. But once your guts healed, and the tips of the villi are grown back, you should be able to eat dairy again. So this is the reason, why a lot of celiacs after the first few months glutenfree can eat dairy again. I cross my fingers for you, that this is what it is. Btw, I had the same problem. I could eat dairy again after about 6 months.

I also switched my cat over to gluten-free food this past fall. I was doing ok with him on the other stuff, but I figured it was better to be safe--no chance of a mistake or anything like that. He loves it and is doing very well. His coat is even shinier than it was before! I think the pets benefit almost as much as we do.

Yes, they indeed do benefit. In fact, there is a dog race out there, that is naturally wheat intolerant. Sounds funny, I know, but my one student with the celiac has one of those dogs. It can't eat any wheat since birth and who knows, there might be other animals or races (cats or dogs) who have the same problem without their owners even realizing it. I mean, just remember how it was with some of us. Some just had slight discomfort and didn't complain about it. Such an animal probably has the same problem and doesn't complain about it. Well, actually they can't complain about it. Hope that makes sense. And if you think about it, a dog and a cat since the earliest times in history actually are not supposed to eat wheat. They are supposed to hunt down other animals and eat meat. No wonder, it creates a problem for them. They are eating a substance, they are actually not supposed to eat.

Oh, another advice, mountain mama. When I go to a buffett or something like that, where everybody brings their own food, I always make a big potty for everybody. Then I take a small pot for me and put some of my own food in there and keep it to myself and just eat from out of there. Everybody else can have the big potty. With family gatherings we do it like this, that everybody lets me know, if I can have it, and I'm the first to start taking food from the buffett or table to make sure, I don't get crosscontamination.

Hope that helped, Stef

[Mountain Mama]

Well, I have to say, I am better!!! And, I am still eating dairy and corn! Wahooo!!! Soo, I must have been glutened. Incidentally, I did scrub out my silverware drawer this week, maybe there was something in there? I am just so happy I am better while eating what I like:D Horray for me!

[gfpaperdoll]

Glad you are better Mountain Mamma.

Yes you can get sick for two weeks from a crumb.

It also could have been the lentils. I cannot eat lentils - never could. I also cannot eat white potatoes, & if I were to eat lentils and white potatoes at the same time !!!!!!

Try switching to sweet potatoes.

You could have also gotten a contaminated batch of gluten-free flour that you made your banana bread with.

Caution about adding in Diamond Thin Nut crackers - they make me very sick, as does a the gluten free brand of crackers.

I have no problems with corn meal, corn flour, cornstarch or fresh corn on the cob but I could never eat canned corn. I can also eat peanut butter but I cannot eat canned roasted peanuts. So there are a lot of forms of a food that you might be able to eat but not a particular one.

Beware of canola oil in chips & nuts etc. I do not handle canola oil at all well, & if the label says canola oil, I just put it back on the shelf.

You might also like to read the book "Eat Right for your blood type" it was spot on for me except for the gluten & dairy !

[Mountain Mama]

Thanks gfpaperdoll, that is very interresting. I am still going to keep a food diary just in case.